‘Charlie Kirk was targeted by SPLC…’: FRC Chief EXPOSES SPLC’s blood money in heated house hearing

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]Now, how did you this building, this organization, did you did you how did you find it or did you like look up online or how did you know about it?

[00:00:06]>> uh Southern Poverty Law lists. The convicted shooter specifically cited SPLC as his source.

[00:00:17]>> FRC may not have pulled the trigger, but they inspired the gun. Charlie Kirk, who also was targeted by SPLC, was assassinated. What impact has this continued designation on the or has it had on the organization?

[00:00:31]>> Fortunately, we were large enough that we could sustain SPLC and their blood money that they've been raising to target conservative groups. It's funny, they're crying now that they're getting their own medicine that Fidelity is not giving money to them.

[00:00:46]How about the thousands of conservative groups that were denied donor-driven [music] funds because SPLC's labeling? Gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Harris, is recognized for 5 minutes.

[00:00:58]>> Mr. Chairman, I'd also like to submit into the record a letter from Awake Illinois to the House Judiciary Committee.

[00:01:03]>> No objection.

[00:01:04]Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:01:06]Uh I'm so grateful for all you witnesses for being here today and I want to take just a few moments to talk about the shooting [clears throat] that took place at Family Research Council's headquarters in 2012. That obviously hits home for me because I have followed and admired the great work of FRC as both a pastor involved for a number of years and now as a a member of Congress. In 2010, the SPLC, as we've talked about today, designated Family Research Council as an anti-LGBTQ hate group and placed it on its so-called hate map. And as I stated in our hearing last regarding the SPLC, there's nothing hateful about the Family Research Council. Family Research Council's a pro-family, pro-life group that promotes the Christian values held by many, many Americans. But that didn't stop the SPLC from placing FRC on this map. Um what was clearly a politically motivated designation was intended to harm FRC, and it had dire consequences. We mentioned it today. On August 15th, 2012, Floyd Lee Corkins II entered Family Research Council's headquarters in Washington, D.C. and opened fire. It was FRC security guard Leo Johnson, who heroically uh tackled Corkins to the ground and wrestled the gun out of his hand despite being shot in the arm. And thankfully, no one was killed, and Corkins was sent to prison for a period of time.

[00:02:38]However, I want to bring attention today to what Corkins told the police, which we happen to have on video right here.

[00:02:47]And I would call your attention to Corkins' video.

[00:02:53]So, how did you this building, this organization? Did you Did you How did you find it? Or did you like look up online? Or how did you know about it?

[00:02:59]The uh Southern Poverty Law lists uh anti-gay groups. I found them online.

[00:03:06]Okay.

[00:03:07]>> little bit of research on their website and stuff like that. Okay.

[00:03:11]I did a little bit of research.

[00:03:14]And guess where he landed.

[00:03:16]There's no speculation here, you know?

[00:03:19]There's no need for interpretation at this.

[00:03:23]The convicted shooter specifically cited SPLC as his source for finding out about Family Research Council.

[00:03:35]Speaks for itself.

[00:03:37]Mr. Perkins, what was your immediate reaction when you found out that the shooter learned about FRC through this SPLC hate map? Uh Congressman Harris, I actually anticipated that was the case.

[00:03:51]In fact, the day after, before the FBI acknowledged it, I stood before dozens of uh TV cameras on the street in front of FRC and said that FRC may not have pulled the trigger, but they inspired the gunman. I was mocked by the media, but then the testimony, the confession came out. And I I asked at that point to SPLC take down Christian groups from this list. They didn't, and the consequences have been in 2017. One of your colleagues, one of my former colleague, Steve Scalise, was shot. He was targeted by the SPLC.

[00:04:28]And then, of course, last year, Charlie Kirk, who also was targeted by SPLC, was assassinated. So, there is culpability in knowing that this list, this ideological labeling leads to violence.

[00:04:43]No doubt. And as of yesterday, when I looked up FRC on SPLC's hate map, your organization is still listed, despite this attack in 2012. So, what impact has this continued designation on the or has it had on the organization and your staff? Well, fortunately, we were large enough that we could sustain SPLC and their blood money that they've been raising to target conservative groups. It has hurt us. We spent $6 million just to enhance our security.

[00:05:16]We've had, it's funny, they're crying now that they're getting their own medicine and that Fidelity is not giving money to them.

[00:05:22]How about the thousands of conservative groups that were denied donor-driven funds because SPLC's labeling?

[00:05:32]Is there fairness in that? I think not.

[00:05:35]And and I will say, this may seem like a silly question, but following the 2012 attack on your headquarters, did SPLC ever reach out to apologize?

[00:05:47]No.

[00:05:49]Well, I think it's disgraceful that FRC has put such a hate map to begin with in place. They SPLC does not need to agree with everything that FRC says, does, or stands for. However, their actions of placing this organization on a hate map is clearly an attempt to and socially ostracize a conservative organization, and it can cannot be allowed again and again. Uh with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Gentleman yields back. We now go to the gentle lady from Pennsylvania. Is I see next Okay.

[00:06:27]Then the gentle lady from Washington.

[00:06:29]I'm looking with and seeing you came back. So, we are thrilled to have you with us. The gentle lady is recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Uh it is really a rich irony that Republicans want to argue that Donald Trump or this DOJ care about stopping hate. And that's why they're going after the Southern Poverty Law Center.

[00:06:50]Donald Trump just set up an illegal $1.8 billion slush fund of US taxpayer dollars to pardon convicted insurrectionists who are tied to white supremacists from the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, Nazi supremacists. Oh yes, and prohibit any action against his own uh violations or his family's violations of tax law. You want to argue that Trump's DOJ is trying to stop hate? Give me a break. Trump ran his campaigns and these administrations on stoking fear and racism against communities of color and promoting hate. Enacted Muslim bans, kidnapped and disappeared immigrants of all immigration statuses, including US citizens. Forced universities to roll back their diversity, equity, inclusion efforts. stripped voting rights from black and brown voters, disenfranchising women and rural voters with the SAVE Act that he wants to pass.

[00:07:51]It's all a shameless plan to return America to single-party control by a Republican Party who, unable to win on any sort of policy merits, turns to an old racist playbook that restricts the power of black, brown, and working-class voters and goes after any political foes just to hold on to power. That's what's happening. For decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center has sued and won jury verdicts against hate groups who conspire and facilitate violence against black and brown people. The center secured a verdict against the planners of the 2017 Charlottesville rally, the same rally that drew participants who Donald Trump called very fine people on both sides. And yes, I know what he said after that to try and defend it, but the entire rally was organized by white nationalist. And even after images and videos revealed that these participants put up their arms in Nazi salutes and violently injured counter-protesters and cheered on the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, he stuck by that.

[00:09:00]SPLC has been winning. That's why Donald Trump wants to target them. That's the problem. Steven Miller, angry that SPLC called him out back in 2016 for promoting white nationalism and right-wing extremist ideas, has decided to take revenge with an outrageous indictment that is replete with mistakes of fact and law. It is a complete fabrication that any crime has been committed at all. In the words of one former prosecutor, DOJ falls, quote, "egregiously short on alleging a crime."

[00:09:36]So, Ms. Wiley, the indictment and this entire hearing is premised on the theory that SPLC somehow manufactured hate by paying confidential informants. So, I want to set the record straight about these informants. Based on what we know from public reporting, did one of the center's informants produce information that successfully prevented a white supremacist group's planned terrorist attacks against a synagogue and gay bar in Las Vegas?

[00:10:03]Yes. Um Atomwaffen Division is the name of the extremist group. Uh and I should say that in addition to the work that SPLC did um that prevented the violence. In fact, it was in 2019. So, it was information it turned on to the Department of Justice during the Trump administration. So, the suggestion that somehow SPLC only works with an administration based on the party is undermined by this very important fact. And what the FBI found was that this person had already bought the supplies for the attack on a synagogue and a bar where a lot of LGBTQ people frequented.

[00:10:48]>> Thank you. I'm going to go through a series of these, so just a yes or no would be great. Did another informant produce information that led to the arrest of a neo-Nazi individual who sought a national security clearance in Philadelphia Navy Yard? Yes. Did an informant produce information that the center used to tip off the FBI about the 2017 Charlottesville rally? Yes. So, the center was using informants to root out hate and help the FBI prosecute that hate, not manufacture hate. Is that correct?

[00:11:15]>> Yes.

[00:11:16]And I want to ask you um you know, the the charges are also premised on the idea that donors were misled and they didn't know what the funds were being used for, but the New York Times publicly reported there's no donor that's come forward as Mr. Raskin said. Um based on your experience, is there anything different about how SPLC is operating than any other nonprofit?

[00:11:37]Not that I'm aware of. Thank you, Ms. Wylie. This seems to be a trumped-up case, literally, just to continue to prosecute people who don't agree. I yield back.